The Sacrifice
by Jubilee Brown
Summary: An ordinarily perfect family is thrust into the magical world of Ragnarok, and realize that they are not quite as normal as they would like.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**_There was nothing abnormal about the Wilshires_**.

Mr. Albert Wilshire worked as a manager of a car factory, and always came home complaining about "the youngsters" who had "earrings in their ears." He was tall, and largely-built, wore glasses simply to exaggerate his intelligence, and had the face of no-nonsense toleration that seemed awkward and contorted when he smiled.

His wife Susie Leah Wilshire was almost as _normal_ as he was. She was the meanest high school freshmen teacher there was and everyone knew about her: kids warned each other to mind when she approached and adults praised her control over their offspring. Her face was naturally held in a sneer all the time and her pants were creased and hair preferably pinned-up.

The Wilshires had but one offspring of their own, even though the neighbors figured they loathed the disturbance of youth. They raised a daughter named Katie Emily Wilshire born on February 16, 1988. She had the black hair of her mother, green eyes of her Dad, a medium-well build and also an intellectually pretty face. Meaning, as one neighbor put it, "She would be pretty if she could just stop thinking!"

However Katie did not stop and moved to the top of her class: Valedictorian, President of the National Junior Honor Society, Special Reward for Volunteer Hours, Calculator Club and numerous others. She also did nothing out of the ordinary.

Skip school?

_Puh-lease_.

Date?

_Who and where?_

Sneak from home?

_Are you insane?_

She woke at 5:30 each day to take a shower, dress, eat a hearty breakfast via Mrs. Wilshire, kiss her Dad goodbye, and ride the yellow bus to school. Anything away from routine was chaos, and that was what Mrs. Wilshire taught her freshmen class who started worksheets the first day they came to her class.

"Shhh!" Mr. Wilshire told the youngsters, and muttered he would be glad when they were all put in jail. He moved to his office exactly on the minute of his lunch break, pulled out a cigarette (out of routine really) and began reading the newspaper with a cup of coffee.

"House Caught on Fire…Governor Speak out About Abortion…. Sentencing of a Drug Dealer Held in Wingate Court-"

His eyes perused over the newspaper, and paused on the small baby section, naming the newborns and lucky parents of each. He smiled (awkwardly) and thought about when Katie was born…

Susie went into labor a day ahead and drove herself to the hospital quite calmly. (Mr. Wilshire would not leave work until his break.) They, meaning the Wilshires, were not anxious at all that they were having a baby, especially since the birthing interfered with the importance of routine. In the labor room, Mrs. Wilshire pushed when she was instructed to do so, and there came her daughter, crying and horribly groomed. Susie Leah glanced wearily at her husband and he told the doctor the most common name he could think of, "Katie Emily Wilshire."

"We will teach her patience and discipline." Albert told his wife.

"Oh yes." Susie agreed. "She must learn to be independent." She already had high-hopes for her baby.

"Humble," Albert added.

"Yes,"

"Determined,"

"Mmmhmmm,"

At that moment, Albert started to have tears in his eyes. Not from the miracle of the experience of birthing, (no that was too extraordinary) but the thought of what his newborn baby would become: **Ordinarily perfect**.

Mr. Wilshire smiled to himself as he read the paper and thought. She was becoming just as he planned.

☻

However, there was something that occurred that night of the birthing that he did not expect or plan or even knew about. That night when the newborn baby was taken to its crib in the hospital room, someone watched it with interest.

The nurse left and closed the door, but the fact that she locked it meant nothing to the figure. He crept near the glass panes that overlooked the crib center, blinked, and in a split-second was on the other side of the glass near the cribs. He peered around silently at the sleeping newborns and found the one he had come for, had risked his life for. Taped on the side of the crib was a label that read, "Katie Emily Wilshire, February 16, 1988."

The creeping figure startled for a moment, scared that he was being watched or had been found out, but upon seeing nothing in the darkness went back to the task at hand. Carefully, slowly, the figure pulled from under its cloak an object like a marker and began slowly moving it on the body of the baby. He drew red markings on her face, her hands, her chest until she was covered in red.

Next, he extracted a small book and a pint of dust from his cloak; he opened them, and chanted, reading from the small book and throwing dust upon the baby. Katie began to shuffle; she could feel it on her, and was becoming agitated that someone was interrupting her sleep.

At the last moment, right before Katie began to wail, he pulled from his cloak a stone glowing so brightly it illuminated in the hall outside, and with the force of ram, thrusted the stone towards the stomach of the child, as if forcing it inside.

Katie wailed now. The lines he had drawn on her body where alive, and also reflecting red light as the figure forced the stone closer and closer into the body of the child as if it would fit. He knew he would not have long; he would have to hurry; he would not get another chance for victory, for glory. Kate was crying now, screaming! She was in pain as the red mark lines etched cuts in her skin; but he could not stop.

_Not now!_

_She hat to be it!_

_The One!_

**_The Sacrifice!_**

He coerced it harder when he heard a commotion in the hall, and suddenly the stone slipped inside the body of the baby like water. The figure stood astonished for a moment as the lights died down, the red marks vanished, and Katie only cried, apparently still alive.

_It was done_.

The figure bowed to the baby and vanished just as the nurse returned and flicked on the light. She looked around the room, but only caught sight of baby Katie crying and still writhing in pain. She strolled towards her, and picked her up, observing the odd flecks of dust upon her. She wiped it off, and comforted the baby.

"What's going on?" A security guard asked as the nurse placed Katie back into her crib.

The nurse shrugged. "Baby must've had a stomach ache." She turned off the lights again.


	2. Chapter 2

Motifs from Ragnarok Online, Harry Potter and World of Warcraft. I do not own these.

Chapter 2: The Gangsters

However, The Wilshires were never informed that their daughter had a glowing stone thrust into her at birth, and they never asked. (They specifically frowned upon "what if" questions.)

Katie grew up like any normal girl. She was potty-trained at an early age, rode her bike, studied every night, and could take care of a puppy she wanted. She had absolutely no interest in the tall, lanky boys in her grade, (and therefore, they did not care for her) especially wit her father's constant insinuations of gangsters and devils. Now, she wanted nothing more than to find the perfect college: close to home, small, private, scholarships given, Christian, all girls and ordinary. There should be nothing too fancy about it, and if she had to, would take a college visit to ascertain.

"I want to a teacher like my mom," She told everyone who asked what her aspirations were. She also campaigned to change the lives of the crazed gangsters.

"Telephone calls? Hah!" Mrs. Wilshire was gossiping to a neighbor while Katie was on the computer searching scholarships and Mr. Wilshire was watching golf. "No, my daughter never talks on the phone! To _whom_? ... She doesn't date either. I wouldn't let her even if she wanted to. You know how many girls are on birth control? ... I'm telling you, these youngsters have _gone_ crazy! It's good to see someone with some sense! … I told her to go to Oxford in England but it might not be… well…_normal_, you know? Can't trust those British! Hey Katie…" She called suddenly from the phone. "Would you like to walk the park with me and Amelia?

And with that, the Wilshire females moved from the house with bicycles and sweat pants. Mr. Wilshire hardly noticed; he was too busy rooting for a golfer from Pennsylvania.

It was a nice Sunday afternoon. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and puffy clouds scooted above the pedestrians. Katie was telling her mother about need-based scholarships when Mrs. Amelia Harper met them near the park.

She was a woman of 40, red-haired and never married; though she never discussed the details of her love life, she did not stop to think about the privacy of others. "Can you believe Brittany caught her husband _in the act_?" She said as the walked towards each other, resuming the phone conversation as if it had never been interrupted. "She was wondering if she should get a divorce-"

Katie pedaled on ahead, away from the gossiping women, and glad to be rid of them. She did not like people who teased others, mostly because she had been teased enough. She had no friends, except for her dog, and decided that was the sacrifice of being ordinarily perfect. Even if sometimes she did not feel so perfect at all. _Or ordinary_. She thought, glancing back as if her mom could hear her thoughts.

She forgot about the idea when she felt the cool breeze blow through her hair, and she had to stop just to make sure her hair was still in the same place.

☻

Back at the house, Mr. Wilshire was watching the game, hopelessly dejected: the Pennsylvania's opponent had a big lead. He sneered, and yanked another handful of popcorn from the bowl, into his mouth and was just about to grab another when something silver and cold touched his neck. It was a blade.

"Get up," An odd voice whispered behind him. "And don't make a move or I will kill you."

**A gangster!** He knew they would get him eventually. He wanted to be smart and ask the gangster what direction he would like for him to do first, since he could not do both simultaneously. But the gangster removed the blade so that he could move. Albert stood up, still facing the T.V.

"Hands in the air," The voice ordered. Albert lifting his hands, thanking God that most of his money was in the bank. He quietly realized he would have to pray his gratitude to the man who invented the bank system. Oddly, however, the gangster did not investigate his pockets.

"Call to your wife and daughter," Albert could hear the voice better now over the golf tournament. It was low, quiet, and eerily collected.

"They're not here," Albert said, glad they were out of harm's way. He was just about to tell the guy the money was in the safe beneath the kitchen floor, but the odd voice spoke first.

"Where are they?"

"I don't know?" Albert heard a faint hiss and then felt, rather than heard, movement behind him. A second later the voice startled him when it was directly in his ear.

"Where are they?" It asked again.

"I said I don't know."

"You're lying," The fellow said simply. "We will wait," He said, turning to the walls as if he was talking to them. With his peripheral vision, Albert saw the man gesture to another. Then Albert felt a hand, pushing him back to his seat on the couch and handing him the popcorn.

"Sit. Stay calm. Eat," The voice said. Albert found the courage to glance where the voice came from but saw nothing but darkness. The man with the blade had vanished into the shadows.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Thieves

Later that evening, the Wilshire females returned home with bags, bicycles, and McDonald's for Mr. Wilshire. They found him, exactly as they had left him: sitting on the couch in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn, except this time he seemed strained.

"Dear, don't you think purple is Katie's color?" His wife pecked him on the cheek.

"Y-yes dear but-"

"Daddy, look what I picked out for you! A sweat suit!" Katie beamed at him.

"That's nice dear, but-"

He did not have the chance to warn them. The figures zoomed out from the shadows of the wall, and Mr. Wilshire realized it was not just two of them, but several men (and women, to Mr. Wilshire's surprise) hidden in the darkness of the room. And they were not exactly _men_ either, at least by Mr. Wilshire's standards; they were young, most not above the age of 35, and some he saw were still "wet behind the ears."

And if they were gangsters, they were not the _ordinary_ kind, which made Mr. Wilshire shiver at the thought of extraordinary thugs. All had a sort of bandage or tape (he could not tell) wrapped around their neck, hands, torso, or ankles. They were attired in dark colors and their faces were covered with torn scarves. Their gloves were more frightening than ever, outfitted with some sharp blade, needles, thorns, or poison.

**Same gang**. Albert recognized at once. His eyes shot about the room, scanning for the secret of how they all had entered undetected and well-hidden. He glimpsed their faces for the leader.

"Oh, Albert!" His wife shouted to him suddenly. "Please don't hurt her!"

Mr. Wilshire whizzed around and found Katie limp and peacefully asleep in the arms of one of the young gangsters. Even though the fellow was "skin and bones" (at least to Albert's opinion) he carried Katie effortlessly, bridal style.

Mr. Wilshire's face reddened as he became angry. "What have you done to my daughter?" He attacked, assuming the air of a father reprimanding the date of his daughter.

"We must subdue her in care the stone reacts," The young man with the calm voice spoke from behind him. His hair was silver and spiked, and he observed Albert closely with tight black eyes. He motioned to another gangster; his eyes still locked with Albert. "Tell the mage to open the portal."

"P-p-portal?" Albert stuttered in his fury. "You're not _porting_ my daughter anywhere!"

"You may come as well if you like," The composed and quiet nature of the young leader unnerved Albert, and he began yelling.

"What do you want with her? Kidnap her, will ya? **Over my dead body**! Going to ask for some money, huh? You think you're slick! You're _nothing_ with your stupid **bandages**!"

The young leader only stared at Albert, but underneath the scarf, he was smirking. Albert watched, angry and confused, as another of the gang members spoke to the silver-head leader in a different tongue.

"Si, si," The silver-head answered him, and the other gang member scowled at Albert who was now sweating in his fury.

"Oh my!" Mrs. Wilshire exclaimed suddenly and all turned to where she looked: on the wall of the living room, a black hole spread across the portrait of Albert's mother and the closed window.

"Entri," Albert heard the silver-head tell his comrades, and they began to leave, stepping through the black hole.

"**No**!" Susie screamed, clutching the hand of the gangster that held her daughter. A female member of the gangsters with a high pony-tail removed the hand of Mrs. Wilshire easily, and with such a force, sent Susie flipping onto the couch.

"Silly Earthling," The female murmured from beneath her velvet scarf. "Tricks are for kids."

Susie stared stunned at the lady, holding her pained hand, and watched with horror as Katie was lifted into the portal. Albert in his last stance yanked a lamp from a desk and charged at the silver-head gang leader.

When he was just about to whack the lamp upon his spiked head, the leader vanished. Albert stood stunned for a moment and then whizzed around, searching the house for the fellow.

"Albert, _behind_ you!" Susie cried, but it was too late. The leader had not moved but simply vanished and was now back again in his same spot, but Albert was vulnerable. It seemed like a simple push to Mrs. Wilshire, but she was surprised to see Albert shoved head-on into the wall opposite the one of the hole. He fell back, K'Oed.

'You are," Susie began almost in tears, "a heathen!"

The spiked head fellow seemed shocked for an instant, but then simply stepped into the black hole and disappeared.

When she thought it was safe, Susie ran over to her husband and shook him with her less painful arm.

"We must go get Katie!" Albert grumbled roughly but he did not have to say it. Susie was staring curiously at the hole that had not disappeared from her wall. _She was not going to let the **funny** people steal her daughter._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Welcome to Prontera's Church, Spira**

The Wilshires braced themselves, and then charged wildly into the black hole, landing like a belly-flop on a carpet floor. A strange, up-beat music was playing happily in the background, and the air smelled fresh. They stumbled off the ground, pushing each other up, and were shocked by the appearance of an old man in front of them.

"How nice of you to join us!" The old man exclaimed, delighted when they acknowledged his presence. "I was afraid you would not have come for a minute," He said, and with a flick of a switch, the black hole decreased to a small, invisible dot.

"What have you done with Katie!" Albert said, shaking with fury now that his escape route was closed, and the thieves were no where in sight.

"I believe," The old man shifted his glasses a bit, "that the assassins put her to sleep for now. You see, the portal is very uncomfortable the first time through: warp holes are a new form of magic." The old man smiled at the couple in quite a friendly way, and they gawked amazingly at him and his _funny_ attire.

He was very tall, slim, and wearing a long, trailing purple cloak with golden odd symbols knitted into it. His purple hat exaggerated his tall legs, and the spectacles he wore at the end of his nose made his face look long. He had kind and genuine blue eyes that twinkled at the Wilshires.

"I am Lord High Priest Francis Yaktat, personal advisor to the King." The old man fell into a deep and humble bow, and Albert thought he was delirious. "I welcome you to Prontera's Church, Spira," He bowed again as if he was grateful for their appearance.

The couple glanced around them and saw they were standing in a white hallway, furnished with red carpet and portraits of old priests. The ceiling was _abnormally_ high, and there were moving sculptures etched into it: Mrs. Wilshire dared not look again when she thought she saw one sculpture of an angel fly across the roof.

Albert reddened with fury. "What is **this**!" He demanded. "Where is my daughter!"

"She is safe in the guest's sleeping quarters with the others."

"Others?" The Wilshires exclaimed simultaneously.

"Yes, others." Lord Francis glanced back and forth from Susie to Albert as they began whispering to each other, and then Albert spoke, straightening himself.

"You cannot kidnap or…even confine my daughter against her will. It is unlawful!"

"Law? What law?" Francis blinked at him, genuinely confused.

"The er…"

"Oh, good heavens!" The old man exclaimed suddenly. "Yes, your law! I almost forgot! I am afraid to admit that from now on, no law you submit to applies _here_." He watched them again anxiously as they began whispering to each other. "Will you join me for dinner?"

Albert grumbled. How dare this weird old fool talk about dinner when his daughter was taken god-knows-where? He sneered irritably at the old man in the tall hat and the man stared happily at him, waiting a reply to his request. How could he think about food when his daughter was just kidnapped by boys in bandages!

"Albert!" Susie shook him from his thoughts. The old man was walking slowly down the hall and Susie figured it was best to follow him.

It was certainly not a bad idea. Albert did not want to be seen (he shuddered at the thought of a neighbor watching them interact with such people) talking to a boy wearing a hat with bat wings sticking out. Again, these people throughout the hallway, were all dressed oddly, and were all surprisingly young. Lord Francis appeared to be the only person over the age of Albert, and this led the Wilshires to respect him more.

While Mr. Wilshire was gawking at the cat ears, spiked hair, and young faces, Mrs. Wilshire was appalled at the attire of the young ladies. They seemed to wear the **least** amount of clothing possible. Belly-buttons were shown, cleavage emphasized, and legs exaggerated. She held her chest as if she was about to have a heart-attack, and finally understood the reason why the youth were taking birth control pills. She had to get Katie out of this environment _immediately_. She was just about to ask the question of her daughter's whereabouts when she realized the background music was becoming louder.

The music was played from a violin on a ragged-dressed young man sitting in the chair. His blonde hair was in a pony-tail, but his eyes were kind and Susie was reminded of a Southern boy. The music was alluring, almost tempting, and Susie found herself reaching in her pocket for money. She would have given him all she had but Albert beat her to it. Susie looked at her husband, and then followed his gaze to a young female dancing.

This female was naked (not really, but close enough). She was wearing a bikini top, a see through skirt where her small panties were showing. Mrs. Wilshire almost had a stroke to see that the girl was not in the least ashamed of herself: she was dancing in broad daylight in the lobby of the church! There was a whip in her hand, and her body danced almost fluidly to the music of the young man played on his piano. Susie suddenly had the urge to snatch the young girl off stage and demand that she call her parents at once.

"No, no," Francis was telling Albert. "Your money is useless to them. Our currency is different. Take it back." He told him, but Albert refused, dreamily.

"This is outrageous!" Susie whispered to the old man. "What kind of influence on our young girls is she sending!" She thought with horror that the girl could be Katie dancing **in a church**!

He smiled apologetically. "Atheists," He said, and Mrs. Wilshire almost fell out. "They protest the Church everyday in this way. They believe it is corrupt; and I would be lying if I were to say it was without flaws," He sighed heavily. "But I have no time-"

"It is not like she is the only one! Almost all these fass-tail girls-"

"Oh!" Francis exclaimed suddenly, his eyes anxious again. "You see in Spira, the countrymen revel in the woman's body. We do not shun her proportions as it is thought proper to do on Earth. Even some of our lady priests show a little leg," He laughed when Mrs. Wilshire feigned death. "We do not hide what is beauty. Sometimes, it is the only beautiful thing to look upon."

Mrs. Wilshire was glad when they finally passed the lobby, and she sneered at her husband who regained consciousness. Only a little dancer and he had forgotten about his daughter. Men! She scorned, forgetting she was about to give the musician all her money as well.

"Where to?" Albert said, a little disheartened about being pulled away.

"To dinner," Francis smiled at him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: The first Earthlings**

"And this, " Lord High Priest motioned to a room that led off the hall, "is the famous library of Spira, home to over a hundred thousand books on everything, quite literally, under the suns."

The Wilshires peered into the library and were impressed by the stacks of books upon shelves, row-after-row, the abnormally high ceiling, and the number of silent people reading. Some of the books, to the Wilshires disapproval, floated around, and an interested reader had to catch them to read. On the far end of the vault, was a staircase that led down a floor.

"That goes down into the restricted area," Francis told Albert upon his question. "The farther down you adventure the more dangerous and frightening the books become. Good heavens! There might even be a book monster down there!" He laughed to himself when the Wilshires gaped at him wildly. "Don't be alarmed, I daresay. The only downfall of the library, I believe, is that you cannot bring tea in there with you while you read. The librarian kafra does not enjoy accidents."

He pointed to a stern-faced woman with moon spectacles, wearing a black dress and a white apron over it. Mrs. Wilshire could sympathize with her about the tea rule; she did not enjoy accidents herself. In addition, the couple was both quite amazed at how such funny people could keep a building spotless.

Up to this point, the Wilshires had become enchanted with High Priest Francis ever since he started to tour them through the Church of Prontera. His old age and the upbeat music of the violinist helped with their approval. Subsequently, they were less determined to find their daughter as they were of adventuring. What they did not approve of however were the constant vigilance of the other pedestrians.

"They stare at us like **we're** the oddballs, "Albert told his wife, nodding at a guy with devil horns protruding from his head. Francis had overheard him.

"Try to ignore them, but-"He glanced at the couple apologetically, "this is the first time that anyone from planet Earth have been invited to attend a Universe Conference. I can understand their wonder-" He watched the Wilshires turn stunned to each other then back to him, excited and asking questions simultaneously.

"You mean we are the first of our _world_?" "Why haven't there been more Earthlings?"

The old man smiled wearily at them. "Our galaxy and universe is not without deeply rooted prejudices: some still believe that a people without…uh… high intellect in magic is inferior, and thus they do not ask for your representatives."

Susie was confused: "They think we're inferior?"

But Albert was angry: "The think we're too stupid or something; they think they're smarter than us; **better than us**!"

"Why, _yes_!" Francis exclaimed as if he was happy they could understand him but then he realized he might have said the wrong thing. Mrs. Wilshire seemed to be in a fret, searching constantly for her make-up bag. Albert, however, was stomping around puffing steam, and sneering at the passer-bys, his face so red Francis thought he was almost on fire.

"So that's why they look at us like that. They think we're too **stupid **to walk on their stinking carpet!"

"Now, Mr. Wilshire-"

"When they're the ones looking like a rainbow buffoon!" He attacked a random pedestrian almost suddenly, and then it came back to him: the lost of his favorite Pennsylvanian golfer, being pushed head-first into a wall, his daughter kidnapped, jumping through a warped hole. He had never been so humiliated in his life! He wanted to leave, to get out of Spira; he hated these people!

"Creep," The passer-by responded lowly so that only the Wilshires and Francis heard him. He strolled on without even looking back at them. Albert almost charged.

"I daresay that this attitude Mr. Wilshire is not improving our image of Earth!" Francis was holding him back with his small stick.

"Who likes all this funny business anyway?" Susie said, still hurt and looking for her make-up.

"Funny business?" Francis snapped, and Albert stopped struggling against a stick and Susie quit looking for her make-up bag. They had realized they had finally struck a nerve, and now Francis was reprimanding them as if they were children. "**Funny business**? I will admit I do not understand that Earthly expression (it is not in our book of reference). However, I regret to inform you that any business conducted from this point on is not the least **funny**. Mr. and Mrs. Wilshire, as the first ambassadors from Earth, it behooves you to not react so improperly to any way another may view you, even if it is unjustified. I beseech you to conduct yourselves in the highest decorum possible!" He looked from one to other, and slowly the anger drained from his face and his piercing blue eyes became weary. "I am sorry that this task falls upon you." He clasped his hands around his back and strolled down the hall lost in thought.

The Wilshires watched him continue on, then reclaiming their normal composure, walked after him, hoping to bring back the excited emotion of their tour guide.

"It is just-" Mr. Wilshire hesitated to explain, "on planet Earth the youth fear or respect the adults. But _here_, it seems… You are the only person I have seen that is as old or older than myself-"

"Aha!" Francis whirled around at them, his blue eyes twinkling. "You have forgotten again you are not on Earth anymore. In Spira, age takes longer. It is not nearly as quick as it is upon Earth." He smiled, wide eyed at them. "It is quite admirable how Earthlings welcome death after 80 or so years, granted they live that long of course. I am afraid I myself do not have quite as much courage. I daresay **I** would have searched for the Fountain of Youth as soon as my twenties-"

"How do you count your age?" Susie asked.

"By experience! I am old because I have experienced so much! Eventually, everyone grows a little older. (Something always happens to everyone, I daresay.) It might take longer for some and therefore they appear younger, though they may be 100 years your senior! For example, when I look in your face, I see little innocence, ignorance and naivety, and therefore understand you are experienced, and therefore quite old!" Francis smiled anxiously at the confused looks on their faces. (Mrs. Wilshire was appalled that she had been called _old_.)

"It works itself out. Never believe Spira has the better bargain. Unlike Earth, Spira is overpopulated by animals/monsters, not people. Our youth die a lot quicker… Maybe too quick." He sped up then, walking as if he was late to an important meeting and Albert and Susie had to jog to keep up. They exchanged dumb-founded glances but did not voice their questions.

"In this room, you will meet your daughter again," Lord Francis told them, and the Wilshires hugged each other for joy. They had been right to follow him! He opened the door to the dining hall, and saw one long table, already set with plates, napkins, and utensils. Some articles were floating again, and the Wilshires ducked passed these abnormal objects. The ceiling in here was made of glass.

Francis took the seat at the head of the table, and Wilshires sat to the left of him, not at all pleased with how the chairs moved on their own accord.

"We are early," He told them pleasantly. "We will wait."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: When Katie Wakes Up**

Katie's head felt as if it was spinning. She blinked and saw an open window and felt the cool evening breeze brush against her face. It occurred to her that she was lying in a wide bed, underneath the covers with her clothes still on. She started when she heard a door open behind her, and heard footsteps in the room.

"Which one of _the chosen_ are you monitoring?" Katie heard a woman's voice speak.

"The Earthling," She heard a man reply, and the girl said "ooh" as if impressed. "It has been pretty smooth: the assassins' sleeping potion work well on her. I have had plenty of time to read. How about you?"

"I have been bombarded with questions from just about everything: from porings to dragons."

Katie heard a chair squeak against the floor, and someone plopped down into it.

"Isn't she supposed to be ready for dinner by this time?" The female asked.

"The Kafra told me to wait a little longer. Perhaps she will wake on her on. She says not waking her helps with the side effects."

"So from the five chosen, who do you think hold the stone?"

"Hmm… no clue. I wonder what Xanthien was looking for when he chose one to insert the stone into."

"Do you think your little Earthling might be the one?" There was a pause, and then the female giggled as if she was teasing him.

"I would be surprised. Earthlings have no magic background. Wouldn't you need magic to summon a thousand demons?"

The female laughed. "You need a brain at least."

Suddenly there was a loud popping noise like a bebe-gun and Katie felt someone standing over her.

"She has wakened up," Another female spoke. "Hullo, Mrs. Wilshire."

Katie felt that was her clue to turn over. She viewed the three people in the room watching her; none of whom wore the dark colors of the thieves that had kidnapped her. Nearest her was a purple-haired lady with green eyes wearing a purple dress and an apron. She smiled at Katie and looked like the ideal servant. Sitting at a small round table was another female; her hair was blonde and cut just above her shoulders. Her top was cut to show her midriff and her pants were short enough to sport her legs. At first glance, it seemed as if she had been hiking somewhere in her boots.

The last person Katie observed was the male in the room. The fellow was sitting comfortably in a chair near the table and reading a newspaper with a cup of hot green tea. He was dressed so elaborately that Katie could only gape at him. His hair was a reddish brown and unevenly long like some punk rocker. He wore a brown cloak which bore a high collar and an odd, abnormally large golden ring around his neck. He wore gloves, bracers, rings, pants, a shirt, a belt, a choker necklace and a kilt to match his overcoat. Behind him, leaning on his chair was a long, tall silvery staff with a head shaped like a moon.

"Funny people," Katie could almost hear her mother say. She wondered if the fellow was hot in all his clothes. The girl however could possibly be freezing.

"How do you feel?" The purple-haired lady smiled at Katie sweetly. "I was afraid the assassin's potion was too much!"

Katie wanted to tell her her head was spinning and also that she felt awkward staring at someone with light purple hair. Where was she? She wanted to know and who were these people? How did they know so much about her?

"Well," the lady said when Katie only gaped at her, "if you need anything, the Kafra service is all throughout the building to offer your assistance. Teleportation, (this only made Katie's headache worse) directions, room service, anything! Just look for the women in the aprons!" And she flapped her white apron at Katie. "Would you like more tea?" She asked the fellow.

"No, thank you," The male replied. The kafra smiled once more at Katie and the popped away instantly, startling Katie again.

Avoiding their gaze, Katie gazed around the unfamiliar room. The room had a high ceiling, wide space, a dresser, a mirror, a bathroom, and a closet. Everything that happened in the last hour came back to Katie and her head started spinning again.

"There's a glass of water if you want it," the male spoke, still watching her. "You might be suffering from the potions side effects."

Katie drunk the water gratefully, the fell back into the bed, hoping this was all just a dream.

"You might better start getting ready," He spoke again. "We must head to the dinner hall in 15 minutes."

Katie only turned over.

"She's sick," The woman said. "Geez, what did those creeps do to her?"

"Where are your people?" The male asked her.

"They went with Lily to the dinner hall. Everyone is now just waiting for you," And her, Katie was sure she was about to say.

"Where're my parents?" Katie grumbled, wanting nothing more than a remedy from her mother.

The male replied. "I don't know. Where did you leave them?"

"I was kidnapped."

"Not by me. We must hurry, _Earthling_." The way he said the last word caused Katie to look up and glance at him. This was not a dream; he was becoming impatient and irritated.

"You can go without me."

"No, I can't. I'm on guard duty."

"I don't need protection! I need a-" Her head swam. Good god, where was the bathroom?

"Ought I call the kafra?" The female asked him, but he was staring at Katie and Katie was holding her head.

"I want to go home,"

The male shrugged. "That's none of my business. You'll have to take that up with High lord Francis. Trust me, if I weren't following orders I wouldn't be here."

Katie shot from the bed and ran towards the bathroom, slamming it behind her. She bent over the toilet, but nothing came out. It wasn't a stomach ache; her head was swimming.

"Now look what you've done!" Katie heard the lady fuss at the male.

"She's acting like a baby. _I want to go home_, what the hell is that?"

"You know how Earthlings are-"

"I just hope she's not the one with our stone. Or we're doomed."

"Kachel!"

"It's true! There's universe catastrophe, people _dying_ out there and she's talking about she wants to go home. Have any of your people said that?"

Katie splashed water from her face over the sink, flushed the toilet even though there was nothing there, and then stormed from the bathroom. She stomped passed the male and female and out the door into the hallway.

The _filled_ hallway.

Cameras, lights, microphoenes, floating pencils and papers, and curious people filled the hallway, engulfing Katie in their questions that tossed at her.

"How does it feel to be the first Earthling to ever step outside its own **galaxy**?"

"Do **all** Earthlings dress like that?" Someone asked and Katie looked horrified at the flowery sweat suit she was still wearing.

"Do you know how important you are right now to civilizations across the **universe**!"

" How does it **feel** to come from a planet so ignored and now so important!"

"Do you have any **boyfriends**?"

"What do you **think** about Spira as of now?"

Katie felt her palms become clammy and her legs swaying. She felt she would have toppled over if not for someone seizing her hand suddenly.

"**Move away**! Move back people!" Katie heard the girl tell the crowd.

The fellow was pulling her as fast as he could down the hallway and down the stairs. "Keep up and stay close to me," he ordered.

"So much for keeping the operation classified," He murmured angrily to himself, not letting go of Katie's hand as if she was a child. Katie was frightened she had messed something up or did something wrong, so she did not question him further. She was glad she did not try to answer any of those questions the news reporters had thrown at her.

"Keep up, I said," He demanded hastily, jerking her forward. "I do not know how those cameramen knew which room you had retired too. Lord Francis will be so angry-" He broke off, staring intensely ahead.

"I'm sorry," Katie began weakly, but he only mumbled furiously. Katie could hear the crowd of reporters hurrying down the steps after her, but they were approaching a kafra.

"Diner's hall," The male said. He touched the lady and Katie felt herself being jerked somewhere away…


End file.
